sloper



Patented Sept. 20, I898.

No. s|0,924.

T. SLOPER. CLOSURE CAP, COVER, STOPPER, OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Sept. 21, 1897.

(No Model.)

Z71067ai 07':

WE A E 'r met.

THOMAS SLOPER, OF DEVIZES, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHRISTIANHAMILTON GRAY, OF SILVERTOWN, ENGLAND.

CLOSURE-CAP, COVER, STOPPER, OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,924, datedSeptember 20, 1898. Application filed September 21, 1897- $erial No.652A55. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS SLOPER, a subjeot of the Queen of England,residing at Devizes, in Wiltshire, England, have invented certain newand useful Improvements Relating to Olosure-0aps, Covers, Stoppers, orthe Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to closure-caps, covers, stoppers, or the like,and I will describe it as applied to the closure-cap of an air-valve fora pneumatic tire, it being understood that the invention is suitable formany other applications.

At present the cap which screws onto the end of an air-valve for apneumatic tire is prevented from being lost by a short chain or tether,one end being fastened around one of the spokes of the wheel, up anddown which it can play, and the other around the cap itself. Thesechains are constantly breaking and besides are inconvenient and noisy,and in place of them I prefer to adopt the following arrangement: To anysuitable part of the valve-body, &c., I secure one end of a shorthelical spring, the other end being secured to the screw-cap. Both ends,although adequately secured, are loose, so as to permit of any necessaryturning or other movement of the connected parts. vBythis means the cap,when it is desired to screw or unscrew it, can be turned with thegreatest freedom, which is by no means the case with the ordinary chain.When unscrewed, the tendency of the spring-tether, which is held in theform of a bow or arch when the cap is in position, is as soon as the capis released to move it entirely out of the way, so that the pump can bepromptly applied to the valvenozzle. If desired, the one end of thespringtether may be fastened around a spoke, as usual, or to the rim ofthe wheel; butI prefer to secure it to the valve itself. Aconveuient wayof constructing this spring is to take a piece of helically-wound wireof suitable dimensions and place through this a piece of wire headed inany convenient manner and reduce a few of the end coils of the spring soas to grip the body'of the wire, which can then or beforehand be formedinto a hook or loop adapted to engage with the valve or cap.

A similar arrangement may be made at the other end, and if the head besomewhat long it tends to strengthen the few coils at the end of thespring, which in some cases may be useful.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View showingapneumatic-tire valve fitted with the improved connection to theclosure-valve. Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional elevations of alternativemethods of connecting the end of the helical spring to the loop forattaching this spring to the valve and closure-cap.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

A helical spring A is provided at its ends with loops B, by means ofwhich it is attached at one end to the valve-body O and at the other tothe closure-cap D. The loops B surround some reduced portion of thevalvebody and the nipple or head D of the closurecap.

As a simple and effectual means of connecting the spring A to the loopsB each of the latter may be formed with a head B at the end of itsshank, the end of the spring being wrapped around the shank of the loopabove its head in the manner shown in Fig. 2 or as shown in Fig. 3. Theshank of the loop B may be folded upon itself, as at 13 so as to form anenlarged portion, the end of the spring being wrapped around the smallerpart of the shank above the folded part, so that the loop and spring aresecurely attached to one another.

Another advantageous application of the above-described spring-tether isits employment as a means of connecting a screw or other form of stopperto a bottle.

I claim- 1. A tether. for a valve-cap consisting of a helical wirespring stiffened at its ends by'the insertion of wires such as B or Bthe other ends of said wires being connected to the valve-stem and thecap respectively substantially as set forth.

2. A tether for a valve-cap consisting of a helical wire spring havingloops with enlarged extensions such as B B inserted inside the endsthereof and caused to remain in place by a reduction in the size of theends In Witness whereof I have hereto set my of the spring substantiallyas set forth. hand in the presence of the two subscribing 3. A tetherfor a Valve-cap consisting of a Witnesses. fine helical Wire springstifiened by and con- THOMAS SLOPER. 5 nected to stouter Wires or metalloops at the Vitnesses:

ends where connected to the Valve or valve- ANNIE BURT, capsubstantially as set forth. 0. WHEELER.

